Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Xiao Jingmo quickly calmed his racing heart and trembling hands.
Jin Bao had just told him that she could see places five hundred li away. Just how vast was this map?
There was no point asking his little sister directly, because she would never be able to explain it. He could only test her and determine its approximate range. If this was a map of the Black Pine Forest, wouldn’t they be able to go anywhere they pleased within the forest from now on?
“Little Sister, can you see our sealed-up home in the Capital?”
Jin Bao shook her head. “Nope. Jin Bao can only see trees and mountains, and there’s snow everywhere.”
Xiao Jingmo now had a rough idea.
“Can you see the Garrison we stayed at before? The one you knocked down?”
Jin Bao shook her head. “Nope, but Baby can see the place where Uncle Xu and the others used to cut trees.”
Uncle Xu was Xu Huaijin, and the place where they used to cut trees lay at the very edge of the Black Pine Forest.
Since that place marked the beginning of the map and was also the boundary of the Black Pine Forest, while Jin Bao had said she could see only areas without human activity, the image in her mind had to be a map of the entire Black Pine Forest.
After confirming this, Xiao Jingmo released a long breath.
“Little Sister, listen to Second Brother. You must not tell anyone about the map inside your head.”
Jin Bao had already been reminded many times that she could not tell others about her ability to foresee the future. Now she could not tell anyone about the picture in her head either.
“Baby remembers.”
“Good. Little Sister is amazing. Now, Second Brother has another question. Can you see somewhere suitable for all of us to live?
It needs a water source, open ground, and a place where we can build houses.”
Jin Bao blinked and reviewed Xiao Jingmo’s conditions in her mind. A location that met every requirement quickly appeared.
“Found it, Second Brother! There is one. But Baby sees the water bubbling and white steam coming out, just like the place where Grandpa Han and the Snow Camel saved us.”
The moment Jin Bao began describing it, Xiao Jingmo suspected it might be a hot spring.
He had known that such an enormous forest could not possibly lack hot springs. Sure enough, his guess was correct. As long as they could find one, their chances of survival would increase dramatically.
The smile on Xiao Jingmo’s face grew wider, but Jin Bao tilted her head and added, “Second Brother, there are so many bubbling springs. A whole huge patch! There’s no snow there. There’s green grass, little deer and little sheep, and flowers too. It’s so pretty! Let’s go there!”
Xiao Jingmo’s eyes lit up. If he understood correctly, this was a Hot Spring Valley.
It even contained a cluster of hot springs. Their warmth kept the valley as mild as spring year-round. It truly would be an ideal destination.
“Little Sister, can you lead us there?”
Xiao Jingmo could barely contain his eagerness. Once they settled there, they could use the valley as a base, search for usable resources, build an army, and seize control of the Northern Frontier.
“Yep! Mappy already told Baby how to get there. Baby can lead everyone around the wolfies and tigers.”
Xiao Jingmo’s blood ran hot, but a piercing eagle cry suddenly shattered the silence of the night.
Xiao Jingmo looked up but could see nothing. The forest was already dark, and even by day it was difficult to see beyond the canopy. At night, it was impossible.
“Little Sister, what made that sound?”
Jin Bao pointed directly above them.
“It’s a big bird above us. Second Brother, it looks like lots and lots of people entered the forest. The big bird is showing them the way.”
Xiao Jingmo’s expression changed abruptly. Could Lu Dachang have brought his men after them?
In that case, the large bird overhead had to be an eagle trained by Lu Dachang.
How had they arrived so quickly?!
By Xiao Jingmo’s calculations, they should not even have reached the Garrison yet. How were they already at the edge of the Black Pine Forest?
“Little Sister, can you see how many people there are?”
Jin Bao blurted, “Two thousand and one.”
Jin Bao herself did not understand what she had just said. She had only learned the numbers up to ten. Yet when Xiao Jingmo asked, she answered instinctively, as though the map possessed an awareness that resonated with her thoughts.
Xiao Jingmo’s eyelids twitched violently. Lu Dachang had actually brought two thousand men to capture his little sister. He had truly… spared no expense.
Not daring to delay, Xiao Jingmo hurried into the cave and announced before everyone, without concealing anything, “Father, this is bad. That Lu bastard is chasing us with two thousand men. They just entered the forest, but their aerial scout is already circling above us. It won’t be long before they catch up.”
Xiao Che gave Xiao Jingmo a suspicious look. How did he know the situation in such detail? But then he glanced at Jin Bao. She must have told him.
Lu Dachang’s troops were traveling by sled on a forced march.
Judging by the distance, even after they had struggled through the forest for an entire day, Lu Dachang’s men might catch them by midnight.
They had two choices: flee immediately or set a trap and annihilate all two thousand men inside the forest.
Unfortunately, the second option was probably impossible.
Xiao Che had only a hundred people, more than a dozen of whom were injured, while many of the rest were women. Even counting every man capable of fighting, they still had no chance in a direct battle.
That left only the first option. They had to flee at once.
But no matter how fast they traveled on foot, they could never outrun the Snow Mastiffs, which excelled at charging across snowy terrain.
Either choice seemed to lead to death. The only difference was whether they died sooner or later.
Seeing Xiao Che unable to decide, Xiao Jingmo pulled him aside.
“Father, Little Sister seems to have gained another new ability. There’s a map of the entire Black Pine Forest inside her mind. She was the one who gave me the information just now. Can we use that map to evade their pursuit?”
This was undoubtedly good news. But before they could shake off their pursuers, they needed to eliminate the eye in the sky.
A plan to lure and kill the eagle gradually took shape in Xiao Che’s mind.
He would need Old Han’s bow to make it work.
Xiao Che found Old Han and briefly explained the situation. Without hesitation, Old Han handed over the bow he always carried.
“Marquis, everything depends on you. As long as we remove their eyes, we’ll surely be able to escape their pursuit.”
Xiao Che accepted the bow but did not act. Instead, he turned and found Jin Bao.
Jin Bao had an extraordinary talent for archery. She had learned everything Xiao Che taught her on the journey remarkably well, but her skill with a bow far exceeded even his. That left Xiao Che somewhat baffled.
No matter how hard he thought, he could not understand why Jin Bao possessed such exceptional archery skills. In the end, he could only reassure himself that she was naturally gifted.
What he did not know was that Jin Bao had developed those skills while being hunted every day in her previous life.
“My good daughter, Daddy has a mission for you. Will you do it?”
Jin Bao loved completing missions. She immediately agreed, brimming with delight.
“Take this bow. In a moment, Daddy will lure that eagle down from the sky. When the opportunity comes, shoot it dead. Can you do that?”
Jin Bao took the bow and nodded. “Yep! Baby will definitely finish the mission!”
Jin Bao’s strength was unmatched, which gave her arrows greater range and far more penetrating power than anyone else’s.
Xiao Che immediately began preparing the trap.